Modi taking Vice Prez elections seriously, wants no blunder

The seriousness with Mr. Modi is dealing with VP elections can be judged from the decision to conduct mock polls before the real election goes to the floor.

On Friday evening, Mr. Modi will meet all MPs of the NDA and the parties that have pledged support to its candidate M. Venkaiah Naidu at the G.M.C. Balayogi Auditorium in the Parliament House complex. At the same place after the discussion a mock election will be conducted with replicas of the ballot.

The ballot will have two names written over it. It will have the names of the two candidates in the fray: Mr. Naidu and Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who has been put up by the Opposition. Mr. Modi will also take part in the exercise as an MP.

“There were 21 invalid votes polled in the presidential election, and many of them were from the BJP. It was felt, therefore, that there should be a demo of the voting process again,” said a senior office-bearer of the BJP.

At the meeting, all parties of the NDA will express their support for Mr. Naidu. This will be followed by a cultural programme and a dinner. The cultural programme is being arranged by Union Minister Mahesh Sharma.